Giro Montaro Mips II review

Giro’s Montaro Mips II is an adult, open-face trail helmet with a Roc Loc 5 Air Mips system, 16 listed vents, goggle-friendly details, and a breakaway interface for a light or camera. The exact US page states CPSC bicycle-helmet compliance for people age five and older and lists 370 g in Medium. This is a source-based assessment, not a fit session or ride test.

Identify generation, color, and size

The observed listing route is the Montaro Mips II family, style 100000000500000117. Its color code 0538 resolves on the exact US page to Matte Chalk; the default selected size is S, SKU GR-7140832. Giro currently shows S, M, L, and XL as selectable sizes on this product page. This is a previous Montaro generation, distinct from the newer Montaro MIPS III rather than a color or accessory variant of it.

What the size range supports

Giro’s adult chart assigns 51–55 cm to S, 55–59 cm to M, 59–63 cm to L, and 63–65 cm to XL. A 57 cm circumference sits in the Medium interval, which is only a size to try: the chart does not document shell shape or predict comfort and stability. Measure level around the head, follow the exact helmet instructions, and confirm that it sits low, level, and secure without obstructing vision.

The page describes Roc Loc 5 Air Mips as a dial-based fit system that adjusts tension and fore-aft tilt, with a suspended arrangement intended to let air pass over the head. That gives a shopper more to evaluate than a generic “adjustable” label, but manufacturer design language is not a cooling result or a fit guarantee. The II is listed through XL, unlike the S/M/L-only selection displayed for the III, so a 64 cm measurement is within the II chart’s upper interval but outside the III page’s listed range.

Trail, goggle, and accessory details

Giro describes the II for trail riding and lists a compact shape with deep coverage, an in-mold hardbody lower wrap, and Roll Cage reinforcement inside the EPS liner. These are construction descriptions, not independent impact ratings. The page documents an Integrated Mips system and explains that Giro designs it to address rotational forces in certain impacts. It does not call the II a Spherical Technology helmet, so a requirement for Spherical/Mips should not be satisfied merely because the model name includes Mips.

The rear goggle gripper and P.O.V. Plus visor merit a closer look if you ride with goggles. Giro describes multiple indexed visor positions, including a raised storage position. A breakaway light/camera interface is also listed; verify the exact package and compatibility before attaching equipment. The page gives 16 vents with internal channeling, a count rather than a comparative cooling result.

Certification, weight, and generation contrast

Unlike some Giro pages that do not mention the US standard, the exact Montaro Mips II page says it complies with the US CPSC Safety Standard for Bicycle Helmets for Persons Age 5 and Older. This is a product-page statement, not a claim that an author inspected the physical sticker. Check the label on the exact helmet, particularly for a used or older offer, and consult current safety notices. Giro’s recall page checked for this assessment described a Merit helmet recall limited to specified Merit production before January 2023; it did not list Montaro Mips II. Recheck current notices before purchase.

Giro lists 370 g for Medium; the newer III lists 450 g. No shared weighing protocol is published, so the 80 g difference compares manufacturer figures, not independent measurements. The III changes several features: Mips Evolve Core, Roc Loc Trail/Trail Air, a FIDLOCK buckle, two-position visor, front/rear sunglass storage, and an NTA 8776 e-bike statement. The II instead documents Roc Loc 5 Air Mips, the multi-position P.O.V. Plus visor, and camera/light interface. I classify the II as an earlier generation even though Giro still maintains its US page; confirm the exact version in an offer.

Who should compare it

The II may be worth trying if its published adult size range, trail intent, CPSC statement, visor, goggle gripper, or breakaway interface address a specific need. Its 65 cm chart ceiling is broader than the III page’s listed 63 cm ceiling. Still, neither a chart nor a feature list can tell you whether this shell suits your head. The page does not state an NTA 8776 certification for the II; that omission is not evidence that it fails, but it leaves that claim unverified here. If you need an e-bike-specific label, ask for the exact documentation rather than transferring the III’s statement to the older model.

Bottom line

Montaro Mips II is the more clearly documented choice in this pair for a buyer who values a CPSC statement, 16 listed vents, an XL chart range, and an included breakaway light/camera interface. Its differences from the III are functional, not merely cosmetic, and its published 370 g Medium figure should not be confused with a personal measurement. Check style 100000000500000117, the exact size and package, physical labeling, seller return terms, and current recall information; then make the decision by trying the actual helmet.

Research note: This analysis uses Giro’s exact US Montaro Mips II listing, its US recall notice, and the manufacturer size guide. No personal riding, ownership, fit, impact, cooling, or weight test is claimed. See the Montaro Mips II US page and Giro’s recall notices.